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Heart problems blamed for small plane crash
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Federal investigators have ruled that a 2008 small-plane crash in Westmoreland County was likely caused by the pilot's heart problems.
John Haber, 78, of Shadyside, died Aug. 31, 2008, when his six-seater, twin-engine Cessna T310R went down in a steep ravine on private property in Washington Township, about 15 miles northwest of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe.
The probable cause was listed as: "The pilot's impairment/incapacitation (cardiovascular) resulting in the pilot being unable to control the airplane."
The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board turned up no evidence of mechanical problems, according to the report.
At the time of his death Mr. Haber did not have a current Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate.
He had been hospitalized for congestive heart failure several months before the crash, and his cardiologist said his patient should not have been flying with his medical condition, the report states.
Mr. Haber was the only person in the plane.
First Published May 8, 2010 12:01 am
